Venetian blind slat and clip



Jan. 13, 1959 H. F.'MASON ETAL 2,868,283

VENETIAN BLIND SLAT AND CLIP Original Filed March 27, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Hal /-7 Mason Albert E. Long INVENTORS 1959 'H. F. MASON ET AL 2, 8,

VENETIAN BLIND SLAT AND CLIP Original Filed March 27, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g 88 62 60 Hal 1-? Mason L g Albert E. Long W INVENTORS.

United States Patent VENETIAN BLIND SLAT AND CLIP Hal F. Mason and Albert E. Long, Bellaire, Ohio Original application March 27, 1956, Serial No. 574,130. and this application July 24, 1957, Serial No.

2 Claims. (Cl. 160-173) This invention relates to a Venetian blind slat and clip and is a division of our pending application U. S. Serial No. 574,130.

An object of this invention is to provide a Venetian blind end clip which facilitates the assembly, repair and maintenance of a Venetian blind by making each slat individually separable from the blind.

A more particular object 'of the invention is to provide a clip at the ends of specially constructed slats in a Venetian blind, the clip holding the lifting cords captive but enabling the lifting cords to operate in the customary and usual manner. A Venetian blind constructed in accordance with the invention will utilize a head box, two or more ladder tapes and two or more lifting cords. However, t-he slats are formed with outwardly notches in the ends and accommodate generally U-shaped clips which coact with the notches to form openings through which.

the lifting cords of the blind pass. The ladder tapes support the slat in the customary manner. In order to assemble a Venetian blind that uses the clips of the invention, the slats need only be slipped over the cross members of the ladder tapes, the lifting cords hung so that they fall within the outwardly opening notches of the slats, and the clips slipped over the ends of the slats. The lower extremities of the tapes and cords are held in place by ordinary means or by using a bottom rail and clip combination described in our copending applications.

Other objects and features of importance will become apparent in following the description of the illustrated form of the invention.

'In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational and partially sectional view of a Venetian blind embodying the principles of the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a slat of the blind in Figure 1 and the clip at the end of the slat;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing principally the assiciation of the lifting cord with an end of one of the slats; and

Figure 5 is an elevational View of an end of one of the slats with the clip in place on the slat.

In Figure 1 there is a Venetian blind that is made of a head box 12 together with mechanisms for supporting the ladder tapes 14 and 16 and for adjusting them in order to adjust the angularity of the slats 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, and of the blind. It is understood that a lesser or greater number of slats are usable in a blind, this being dependent upon the size of the blind that is under consideration. Lifting cords 26 and 28 are entrained over idler pulleys 30 and 32 in the head box 12 and are adapted to be lifted and lowered by pull cords 34. The tilt cords 36 are operatively connected with a mechanism 38 for adjusting the ladder tapes 14 and 16. This subject matter is covered in our copending application. The same holds true for the bottom rail 40 and its clips 42 and 44 by which the lower ends of the lifting cords 26 ice and 28 are attached in place and by which the lower extremities of the tapes 14 and 16 are assembled.

Typical slats 21 and 22 (Figures 25) are shown in detail. Slat 21 is preferably cambered as are the majority of Venetian blind slats that are constructed at the present time. An outwardly opening notch 50 in between two fiat fingers 54 and 56, is adapted to receive the lifting cord 26 (Figure 4). Clip is generally U-shaped in planform and is cambered in cross-section to match the camber of the slat 21. It is made of an upper wall 62 shaped with a pair of fingers 64 and 66 and an inwardly opening notch 68 between them. Notch 68 matches notch 56 when the clip is in place on the slat 21 in order to form the walls of opening 70 through which the lifting cord 26 is passed. Short side walls 72 and 74 depend from the upper wall 62 extending only partially the full length of the fingers 66 and 64. Bottom walls 76 and 78 protrude inwardly from the lower edges of side walls 74 and 72 and are parallel to the top wall 62. The wall arrangement is such as to form an inwardly opening pocket in which fingers 54 and 56 are fitted when the clip 60 is slid onto the end of slat 21. End wall 80 which depends from the outer edge of plate 62 and bottom wall 82 extending inwardly from the lower edge of wall 80, completes the clip wall structure and is engaged by the inner edges of fingers 56 and 54 to limit the penetration of slat 21 within clip 60.

A pair of indents 86 and 88 are formed in top wall 62 and they match with and fit within corresponding indents 90 and 92 formed in the fingers 56 and 54. When the clip 60 is slipped onto an end of its slat 21, the matching indents in the clip and slat snap to a nested engagement with each other.

In use, the blind is assembled by slipping the slats on the cross members of the ladder tapes and then applying the clips to the ends of the slats after the lifting cords 26 and 28 are fitted in the notches at the extremities of the slats. This automatically forms the openings near the ends of the slats, for example see opening 70 of Figure 4. When it is desired to remove a single slat or a number of slats for any purpose, the clips are simply slipped from ,the ends of the slats and the slats can be removed from the remainder of the blind. The clips may be made of plastic or metal and may be of a finish which identically matches the finish of the slats or in some instances, may be of other colors. In any event, the mechanical function of the clips makes it possible to remove and replace or repair or maintain one or more slats with a minimum of difiiculty. The initial assembly of the Venetian blind is facilitated by adaption of the clip 60.

It is understood that various changes, modifications, alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the following claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a Venetian blind that has ladder tapes on which slats are supported together with lift cords for the blind, said slats having at their ends outwardly opening notches between a pair of fingers, each slat having at each end a clip, said clip being substantially U-shaped in planform and having a pair of fingers between which a notch is defined, bottom walls cooperating with a top wall to form a pocket in said clip, the fingers of said slat being fitted in said pocket with the notches of said slat and said clip partially overlying to form the side walls of an opening through which one of the lifting cords is passed, side walls and an end wall of said clip connecting the top wall to the bottom walls of said clip, said end wall constituting a stop against which said fingers of said slat abut at which position said pocket and said notch partially overlie each other to define said opening, and means including indents in said walls of said clip for fastening said clip to said slat.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said indents are in said fingers of said blind and in said top wall of said clip, and nesting with each other when said clip is placed on said slat to retain said clip releasably fastened on the slat.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Gothert Nov. 5, 1912 Thexton Oct. 23, 1945 Horton Aug. 6, 1946 Marston Aug. 24, 1948 Smalley Feb. 14, 1950 Herman Oct. 9, 1951 

